Alarm signaling device.



-G. F. LONG.

ALARM SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23| I913- Patented Oct. 16,1917.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR '0. LONG. ALARM SIGNALING-DEVICE. VAPFLVICATION rjLp Aucs.'2a. 1'9l3.

Patentefi 0st, 16,1917.

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WITNESSES A Tram/Us enonen a"; tone, or swimmer, nnw not t SIGNALING DEVICE.

wisest.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Application filed August 28, 1918. Serial No. 786,241.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn F. Lone, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmhurst, in the borough of Queens of the 5 city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarm Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an alarm signaling device of the class known as automobile diaphragm horns and particularly relates to such horns actuated by the engagement of a revolvin member w1th a wear-piece projecting rom the diaphragm.

It is one of the ob ects of my invention to provide in an electrically driven horn, means for manually actuating the same, irrespective of the operativeness of the electric motor so that the horn can be operated at all times.

In these horns, the initial'inertia of the diaphragm is high and in the electric driven horn, the torque on the motor is correspondingly high and considerable current is consumed before the desired pitch is attained. it is a further object of my invention to provide a diaphragm actuating mechanism normally maintained in inoperative position and which will permit free rotation for a few turns before it is brought into operative relation with the diaphragm.

Affiirther object of my invention is to provide a means for adjusting the engagement of the speed controlled wear-piece enga 'fn g member with the wear-piece.

gther objects and advantages will be in art obvious and in part more fully set forth P in the following description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention which consists in the new and novel features of construotionand' combination of parts hereinafter set forthfand claimed.

Referring to he accompanying drawingsz- Figure 1 isa side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention with certain parts shown in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of the device shown in Fig. 1 with certain parts in'section;

Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of diaphragm actuating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and V a Fig. 6 is a lan view of the device shown in Fig. 4 wit certain parts in horizontal sectlon.

In the drawing is shown a mechanism containing casin 1 and an amplifier 2 disposed between w ich is a diaphragm 3 havmg a round ended wear-piece 4 adjustably mounted thereon. Suitably mounted in the casing 1 is a motor 5 preferably an electric motor, operatively' connected to drive a shaft 6, which may be the armature shaft of the electric motor. A rotor 7 is driven by said shaft and has mounted thereon wearpiece-engagingmembers 8 preferably in the form of rollers, a rounded side of each of which is arranged to engage with the rounded end of the wear-piece to vibrate the diaphragm.

In order to actuate the horn manually, the shaft 6 has apinion 9 fixed thereto and in mesh with a gear wheel 10 driven through a spring pressed one-way pawl and ratchet connection 11 from an actuating rack bar 12 engaging a pinion fastened to the ratchet of the connection 11.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the rotor 7 is fixed to the shaft 6 in position to revolve the rollers 8 in a path across the .nor

Patented ea. 16, fair.

mal position of the wear-piece. In the form shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the rotor is slidably mounted for longitudinal movement relative to the diaphragm and'for this purpose is connected to the shaft by a key 13. A spring 14 is disposed between a set screw 15 in the end of the shaft adjacent the diaphragm, and the adjacent face of the rotor which spring tends to maintain the rollers 8 in inoperative position relative to the wear-piece. Encircling the shaft 6 in rear of the rotor 7 is an annular governor 16 pivoted to the shaft by means of a diametrically disposed pivot pin 17. The governor is normally in a plane inclined to the axis of the shaft and a pivoted link 18 extends parallel to said axis and connects the rotor with the portion of the governor farthest disposed from the rotor.

In operation either the electric circuit is closed through the motor or the rack 12 is depressed, both of which acts will positively rotate the shaft 6 and thus bring the revolving rollers 8 into operative engagement With the wear-piece on the diaphragm. The

actuation of the horn by means of the motor will permit the shaft to turn without affecting the rack bar 12 as the pawl is free to slip over the ratchet.

Referring particularly to the form illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, the rotation of the shaft 6 will cause the governor to assume a position in a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation, thus forcing the rotor 7 along the-shaft 6' to bring the wear-piece engaging members 8 into operative engage ment with the wear-piece to vibrate the diaphragm.

With a certain speed of rotation the governor will tend to assume a definite posi-- tion, which will move .the rotor 7 into a set position depending upon the tension of the spring 14. The position of the rotor 7 for any predetermined speed may be set by adjusting the screw 15 thereby placing the spring under the desired tension. With the rotor 7 in the desired position, the wearpieoe is adjusted so that the wear-piece engaging members 8 will have the desired engagement with the wear-piece.

By means of this. construction all of the advantages of an electric driven horn are retained and at the same time a convenient means for actuating the horn manually in case the source of electric power should give out or any motor troubles arrive is available. In electrically driven horns much more energy is necessary to start the diaphragm actuating mechanism than to maintain the same in operation after it is once started. By means of this construction the armature shaft may be started manuallyv and after it is started may be maintained in operation by means of the electric motor.

Where the governor is used it is possible for the rotor to attain a momentum suflicient to overcome the inertia of the diaphragm and to be then moved into operative engagement between wear-piece and the engaging members is attained automatically at the preset speed of the rotor. It is possible with the form shown to adjust the wear-piece through the amplifier without dismounting any of the parts.

By using the annular form of governor shown, it is not possible for this member to fly off tangently in case its connection with the shaft is broken and this form of governor also permits the use of an economical form of connection with the shaft and with the rotor.

Although I have shown only one form of mechanism embodying my invention, it is obvious that various changes within the skill of the mechanic may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, provided the means set forth in the following claims be employed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a horn, the combination with a diaphragm and a diaphragm actuating mechanism, of a motor having an armature shaft operatively connected with said mechanism, and a manually actuated mechanism operatively connected to said shaft to actuate the same over a period prolonged for any desired length of time and operable independently of any force applied thereto by the motor.

2. In a horn, the combination With a diaphragm and a diaphragm actuating mechanism, of driving mechanism for sustaining a continuous actuation of said diaphragm actuating mechanism by either, or both, of a pair of driving means, one of said means comprising a motor having an armature shaft operatively connected with said mechanism, and the other means including a manually actuated reciprocable member and a connection between said member and shaft for actuating said shaft on the movement of said reciprocable member.

3. In a horn, the combination with a diaphragm having a rounded end'wear-piece, of a rotary member having a wear-piece engaging member with a rounded surface adapted to engage the rounded end of the wear-piece, means governed by the speed of rotation of said rotary member for controlling the operative engagement of the rounded surface of the wear-piece engaging member with the rounded end wear-piece and means for resisting the movement of the .wear-piece engaging member, which means gradually increases in resistive effect, as the member approaches the wear-piece.

4. In a horn, the combination with a dia-' phragm and a wear-piece adjustably mounted thereon, of a rotating shaft extending substantially normal to the plane of said diaphragm, a wear-piece engaging member slidably mounted on said shaft, adjustable means tending to maintain said member in inoperative position and a governor actuated from said shaft for moving said member into wear-piece engaging position, the extent of said movement toward the diaphragm depending upon the adjusted position of said wear-piece andupon the adjustment of said means.

5.'In a horn, the combination with a diaphragm and a diaphragm actuating mecha nism lncluding a rotating shaft, of means tending to maintain said mechanism in inoperatlve position relative to the diaphragm and means for moving said mechanism into operative position including an annular governor encircling said shaft and pivoted thereto, and a connection between said governor and said mechanism.

6. In a horn, the combination with a diaphragm, and a rotary diaphragm actuating mechanism, of means tending to maintain said mechanism in inoperative position relative 'to the diaphragm and means actuated by the rotation of said mechanism adapted to move said mechanism into operative engagement with the diaphragm and means for varying the resistance of said mechanism to movement into diaphragm actuating position. I

7. In a horn, the combination with a diaphragm having a wear-piece, and a wearpiece engaging member provided with means constantly acting on the member and tending to maintain the same in an inoperative position spaced from the Wear-piece, means controlled by the speed of said wear-piece engaging member for moving said member into operative engagement with the wearpiece when said mechanism has acquired a definite speed, two types of actuating members, each operatively connected to said wear-piece engaging member to actuate the same, said wear-piece provided with means for varying the point in speed at which engagement of the member with the wearpiece is provided, whereby the diaphragm may be actuated from either of said two types of actuating members.

8. In a horn, the combination with a diaphragm and a diaphragm actuating mechanism, of a plurality of means for driving said mechanism, said means being independently energized, one of said means being energized electrically and other of said means being manually energized, said manually energized means including a one-way pawl and ratchet drive and a handle operatively connected to the drive so that by the repeated actuation of the handle there is caused a continuous driving of said mechanism for any. desired length of time, said means being operatively connected to said mechanism to actuate the same either simultaneously or independently at will.

9. In a horn, the combination with a diaphragm and a diaphragm actuating mechanism, including a shaft, an electric motor for operatmg said shaft, and'manually actuated means operably connected with said diaphragm actuating mechanism for addi-- tionally driving said shaft and a one way pawl and ratchet drive operatively connected to said shaft for actuating the same continuously and simultaneously with the actuation of the shaft by means of the electric motor.

This specification signed and witnessed this 18th day of August, A. D., 1913.

GEORGE F. LONG. Signed in the presence of S. A. THORNTON, M. J. Goornn. 

